


Warm water

by UglyLittleGirl



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, No Smut, One Shot, Short & Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-19
Updated: 2018-12-19
Packaged: 2019-09-22 23:48:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17069516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UglyLittleGirl/pseuds/UglyLittleGirl
Summary: When Kara goes back for Ralph after the war ends, he is reluctant to leave his sanctuary but Kara takes care of him and earns back his trust. She couldn't leave him behind.





	Warm water

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not a very good writer but this popped into my head and I had to write it down. I also think there's not enough fics about my sweet boy. I'm not sure who I ship Ralph with yet but I'm leaning towards Kara so I wrote this and I hope you like it but if not I don't care I'm a strong independent woman lol.

Ralph flinched away when Kara leaned in to touch him.

“Please let me,” Kara pleaded, “I'll be gentle.”

Ralph frowned but held still as Kara leaned in once more and raised the damp cloth to his face. He whimpered quietly as Kara gently dabbed at the dirt and dried blue blood. Kara stopped, concern evident in her features.

“I'm sorry, did I hurt you?” Ralph shook his head. “You did not hurt Ralph. He is sensitive there. You must be patient with him.”

Kara smiled a crooked little thing that didn't reach her eyes. She squinted with concentration and an emotion Ralph didn't recognise.

She wiped hesitantly at the thirium under his damaged eye and watched as the dark blue dissolved and revealed his light olive skin underneath.

After Kara had finally convinced Luther to take her back and retrieve Ralph, Ralph was reluctant to leave his “home”. As in, screaming and swinging knives kind of reluctant. But Luther is bigger and stronger and he managed to get Ralph in the car and held down his flailing extremities for the duration of the ride. Kara felt terrible, seeing the fear and betrayal in Ralph's eyes, but not terrible enough to give up and leave him in that wretched place.

What was even harder was earning back his trust. After taking him to the apartment, he spent the first few weeks sitting out on the balcony with the potted plants, not talking and not letting anyone touch him. Like a small animal that had been torn from it's habitat. Kara sat with him most of the time, trying to convince him that he was safe, they were free now, the humans won't hurt him anymore. But mostly because she felt that since she had brought him here, she had to be with him. It hurt her heart, but he was safer here. Here he had company, warmth, a bed, and a couple months worth of much needed thirium. Eventually, with much coaxing, she had earned back some of his trust. Enough for him to let her take care of him.

Ralph's mouth hung slightly open and Kara could see his pink tongue. His damaged, unseeing eye twitched as Kara washed the artificial skin around it. His hands fisted in the sleeves of the sweatshirt she bought him. His sandy hair looked so soft and Kara's unoccupied fingers itched to touch it. She refrained. She scrubbed carefully around the dark gashes on his cheek, stopping every now and then to rinse and wring out the rag in the bowl of warm water that was getting colder and bluer with each dip. Ralph was slouching in his kitchen chair and leaning forward so Kara could reach him.

Clearing one little patch of tan colored synthetic skin at a time, Kara slowly revealed a cleaner, softer version of the gardener android's face.

“Now, look at that,” Kara smiled, “Don't you clean up nice.” It wasn't a question, but a quiet aside, mostly to herself. Ralph quirked an eyebrow and pursed his lips, but remained stoic.

“I'm sorry I took you away from your hideaway.” She murmured, “I suppose that was a little cruel of me.” She was absently dabbing at the mangled side of his mouth.

“I was scared…” Ralph squirmed in his chair, careful to keep his head still for Kara.

“I know. But you weren't safe there. You would have run out of thirium eventually. You could have been found. You would have been taken to some kind of facility. You could have died.” Kara's voice was grave. 

“Why is… why are you helping Ralph?” Kara put the rag in the bowl and rested her hands on her knees, admiring her progress.

“Because you helped Alice and me. And because it's the right thing to do. If we want to show the humans that we are living beings who feel and love like they do, then we have to stick together…. And because I like you. You're a good person.” Ralph stayed slumped in on himself and looked down at his marred hands.

“Luther doesn't like Ralph.”

“What do mean? Of course he likes you. That's why he's letting you stay with us.” 

“No, he likes Kara. He likes the little girl. He fears Ralph.”

It's true and Kara knows it. Luther doesn't like having Ralph in the apartment, around her and Alice. She knows the only reason he puts up with him is because of how much Kara cares about the mutilated android. She suspects it also has to do with Luther's past with Zlatko. Maybe he thinks helping Ralph redeems him a little bit.

Kara leaned in and took Ralph's less damaged hand. “He's just protective. He's my family. Families protect each other.” 

Ralph scowled faintly. “I don't have a family.”

Kara sat and stared for a moment, deciding. Then she squeezed his hand and leaned in to plant a chaste kiss to his smooth right cheek. He only flinched a little.


End file.
